Holden hits safety barrier

The car maker has been left red-faced again. It must fit two tiny springs to 120,000 cars to prevent airbags from inflating prematurely, reports JOSHUA DOWLING.

24 August 2010

Walloped ... the Barina in the crash test that received a "poor" rating. To see the video, go to www.drive.com.au/BarinaCrashTest

Holden's safety record took another hit this week with the announcement that 120,000 Commodores, Monaros and Statesmans are being recalled because of potentially faulty side airbags.

It is the 20th recall for the Commodore and other locally made Holdens since the VT series was released in 1997. This compares with the Ford Falcon, which has been recalled eight times in the same period, the Mitsubishi Magna which has been recalled three times and the Toyota Camry and Avalon which have been recalled twice.

The announcement comes a fortnight after Holden's Korean-built Barina was singled out by independent safety body EuroNCAP for recording a "poor" result in its crash tests and less than a month after Holden's safety expert Laurie Sparke was left lost for words on national television when trying to explain why Australia's biggest-selling car - the Holden Commodore Executive - did not have electronic stability control as an option.

Despite recording the highest number of recalls for a local manufacturer in the past 10 years, Holden says its safety reputation has not been damaged by recent events. "We would prefer to err on the side of caution when it comes to recalls," says Holden spokesman Jason Laird. "[The recall] highlights our concern for customer safety. If there are any actual or perceived safety issues, we would prefer to take a leadership position rather than hesitate. We're red-hot on this stuff."

However, Holden insists not all its recalls were for safety reasons. "A number of recalls we have initiated in the past few years have been for things like incorrect printing on compliance plates."

Holden says the Commodore, Monaro and Statesman recall involves 89,167 vehicles in Australia and 34,552 exported vehicles built between April 2003 and December 2005, for a total of 123,719 cars.

The recall affects Commodores, Monaros and Statesmans equipped with side airbags. Holden says that since 2003 it has received 13 reports of cases where the side airbags inflated "under circumstances which did not warrant inflation". Holden suspects the problem is caused by a static electricity charge, "which stimulates the airbag inflator if an earthing wire under the seat has come loose".

"Such conditions can be generated only when the car is stationary and the person is exiting or has exited one of the front seats, as sufficient charge must be generated and the outer side seat bolster compressed to reach the side airbag inflator," a statement from Holden said.

"The situation will be rectified free of charge at Holden dealerships by installing an additional earth spring at the front of each height-adjustable seat to correctly earth any charge," the statement continued.

Holden's director of engineering, Tony Hyde, says the inflation will occur only while the car is stationary.

"Electrostatic charge accumulation usually requires some sort of moving activity which is generated while swinging out of a seat," Hyde says. "This action also brings the occupant closer to the side impact airbags as the backrest side bolster is compressed when getting out of the seat. The bolster will not be sufficiently compressed while driving to allow any charge to reach the inflator."

Holden owners with concerns about the recall should call Holden Recall and Rework Assistance Centre on 1800 632 826 or the service department of any Holden dealership.